National Republican., 1887-04-11

was transported In American ships, but
to South America, 50 per cent, largely over
half, was transported in foreign vessels.
Sixty per cent. Of the goods raised upon
American soil by American workingmen,
fashioned in American manufactures by
American artisans, transported over Ameri-
can railroads, are dumped into foreign
bottoms when they reach the sea coast and
shipped to our customers in South America,
and the money for the freight, amounting to
millions Of dollars, is paid foreign ship
owners, and the same is true of the goods
purchased in return for those OF ours.
Brazilimports $l00, 900 worth OF goods
and exports sla0, 100000 worth. OF these
Imports the United States furnishes one
fourteenth, while Of the exports II takes
fourtenths. The Argentine Republic i'm
ports $7s,O0O,O0O and exports 100000 Of
its products; of the imports the United
States furnishes one. sixteenth and Of the
exports takes one.tenth. Chill imports
s50,000,000 and exports $73, 100000 worth
OF goods; Of the imports the United
States furnishes one.twenty. fifth, and of
the exports takes one sixtieth. or the
whole trade Of this country the United
States has one-fortleth. Uruguay imports
$19,000,000 and exports S23 900 worth Of
goods, and Of the imports the United States
furnishes one fifteenth, while It takes one
fifth Of the exports.
The whole importations Of South America
amount to over 5000, ,000, 900, and OF this
vast amount Of goods purchased the United
States sells only $26, 6,O0O, 900 worth-only
one.twelfth. The exports of South America
amount to 1856, 100000, and OF these the
United States takes S65. 900. 000--nearly one.
fifth.
OF the immense commerce OF the South
American continent, amounting to over
$685., 900, only $3S, ,000,0 900, little over
one.twentieth, is transported in vessels car
rying the American sag.
1t is time a commercial war was declared,
and 1t should be a war In which all the ap-
pliances Of mercantile skill and legislative
enactments are united to secure the victory.
Mexico, with eleven hundred miles of
continuous border, with its principal sea-
ports within less than weeks run from our
most distant ports, buys large part of its
the United States OF Colombia, with their
seaports only onethird as far from us as
they are from Europe, take less than one
third Of their purchases from the United
States.
The United States has expended over one
thousand million dollars in the effort to
develop its internal trade and provide
means of transportation from the interior
to the seaboard, and when the surplus pro-
ducts of the country reach the seaboard to
seek market abroad they find the govern
ment refusing one dollar to assist in securing
these markets. Even when a parsimonious
| Congress does consent to give little aid
1t is denied by the bad judgment Of a Demo-
| cratic administration.
The nations that have secured the trade
| Of our neighbors have not done it without
an effort. They expend twenty-five mil
lion dollars annually in subsidizing steam
| ship lines to these countries, and thus secure
the trade which we ought to and would
have but for this action.
Every chamber of commerce in the United
States, every manufacturer and all his em-
ployes, every merchant, every farmer, in
fact every man, should unite in demanding
that this policy, which shuts out our pro-
ducts from foreign markets, should be
changed. The expenditure of few million
dollars annually would build up a trade
that would cause mill, mandatory, mine.
and farm 10 run on full time the year round
for 1t would give markets for all that the
country can produce.
Let us inaugurate commercial war at
once; it win produce work for the working
men all over the country, and the first step
in the war must be upon the idiots in Con.
gress who fetter commerce.
Our underpaid consular system has col
lected reliable statistics giving needed in
formation, which is being utilized and com.
mended by other enterprising nations, yet
this government in the face of the facts
they have collected refuses to utilize them
by friendly legislation.
i